'Tested positive in Delhi, negative in Jaipur': MP Hanuman Beniwal shares conflicting COVID-19 test reports on Twitter

In the wake of 17 Member of Parliament (MPs) testing positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Day 1 of the Parliament's Monsoon Session, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) MP Hanuman Beniwal on Monday shared two conflicting test reports on Twitter, which would seem to suggest that the convenor had tested positive for COVID-19 in Delhi while also testing negative for COVID-19 in Jaipur.

In the wake of 17 Member of Parliament (MPs) testing positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Day 1 of the Parliament's Monsoon Session, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) MP Hanuman Beniwal on Monday shared two conflicting test reports on Twitter, which would seem to suggest that the convenor had tested positive for COVID-19 in Delhi while also testing negative for COVID-19 in Jaipur.

Taking to his official handle on the microblogging social networking website, Beniwal shared both of his COVID-19 test reports. While the one conducted on him in Delhi ahead of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament showed that he was infected with coronavirus, the one conducted on him in Jaipur showed that he tested negative for COVID-19.

Beniwal wondered which of these two reports should be considered accurate.

"I got myself tested for COVID-19 in the Lok Sabha campus today. After the test results came out to be positive, I got the same coronavirus test done in Jaipur's SMS Medical. Now, the test results showed negative. I am sharing with you both my test reports. Which one should be considered accurate?" the RLP MP wrote in Hindi.

Beniwal further explained in a series of tweets, "My COVID-19 test was done in the Lok Sabha complex on September 11. On September 13, I received a call from the Lok Sabha Secretariat, informing me about the positive result. Following this, I had a consultation with senior doctors and submitted a sample of mine for another test at the Jaipur-based SMS hospital. I have received the test results for it just now, and as per it, I am COVID-19 negative. I am totally healthy! My third report has turned out to be negative as well today and I have, as per the medical protocol, spent the mandated duration of home quarantine after the first negative report successfully."

Bharatiya Janata Party`s (BJP) Meenakshi Lekhi, Anant Kumar Hegde, and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma are among 17 Member of Parliament (MPs) who have tested positive for coronavirus in the mandatory tests conducted before the Monsoon Session of Parliament which began on Monday.

As many as 12 MPs from the BJP the most from any party in Lok Sabha, were found infected with the disease during the test followed by the YSR Congress`s two MPs and one each of the DMK, the Shiv Sena and the RLP.

In addition to Hanuman Beniwal, others who have been detected COVID-19 positive include Pratap Rao Jadav, Janardan Singh, Sukhbir Singh, Sukanata Majumdar, Goddeti Madhavi, Bidyut Baran, Pradan Baruah, N. Reddeppa, Selvam G, Pratap Rao Patil, Ram Shankar Katheria, Satya Pal Singh and Rodmal Nagar.

The Lok Sabha members were tested at the Parliament House on September 13 and 14-- a during a mandatory test for those attending this year`s Monsoon Session which will end on October 1.

The results come at a time when India on Monday registered 48,464,27 Covid-19 cases across the country with a massive spike of 92,071 cases including 1,136 deaths in 24 hours.

Earlier, at least seven Union Ministers and around 25 MPs and MLAs had contracted the disease. Among them were Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who underwent a thorough medical examination at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) before the parliament session started.

An MP and several MLAs have died from the highly-infectious pandemic.

The Monsoon Session of parliament this time is being held with large-scale safety protocols in place that include staggered seating of MPs in chambers of both Houses to maintain physical distancing.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the MPs this time registered their attendance using the `Attendance Register` App: a step forward in digitalising operations at the Parliament.

(With agency inputs)